Cycling excels with nutrition and diet in mind. Pure alcohol, whether it's in beer, wine or liquor, contains seven calories per gram. And we've all heard the usual advice: Enjoy antioxidant-rich red wine; skip the fat-laden spiked eggnog. But not all drinks between those bookends are equally good choices, so herewith, our guide to the sauce.

DRINK: BLOODY MARY This classic vodka mixture gets a thumbs-up for tomato juice, which packs in vitamins A, C and B6, and has only one-third the calories of orange or pineapple juice, making Mary quite svelte at 120 calories for a regular five-ounce cocktail.

SKIP: SEX ON THE BEACH There are endless varieties of this vodka mixer. Not only does it include other calorie-rich booze like schnapps and rum, but sometimes fat- and cholesterol-laden heavy cream is also used. Count on a minimum of 300 calories for a four-ounce cocktail, and likely a lot more.

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DRINK: TOM COLLINS Gin, club soda, lemon juice and a pinch of sugar rack up only 120 calories for a half pint (eight ounces). The ally for such drinks is sparkling water, which you can add to taste without offending the drink--make a tall glass for long, slow sipping.

SKIP: MARGARITA Often delivered in supersized portions with three drinks' worth of alcohol, some of the 12-ounce vats served at restaurants tally more than 700 calories. We're not sure what the nutritional value of the tequila worm is, but we doubt it's good.

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DRINK: GUINNESS DRAUGHT It's surprising but true: The stout variety--not the extra stout--of this classic, dark Irish brew packs only 125 calories for 12 ounces. That's barely more than pale, flavorless 100-calorie light beers. Despite the name, Guinness Draught is available in bottles and cans, which include a little widget that bangs around inside and adds taplike fizz when the container is opened.

DRINK: MOJITO With rum, mint, a little sugar, a lot of lime juice and fizzy water, it's a simple drink that's not loaded with cloying syrups. Even an eight-ounce glass has only 210 calories. Bonus for literary types: The mojito was enjoyed by Ernest Hemingway, a lover of bicycles.

SKIP: MAI TAI While the recipe varies, the drink usually includes two kinds of rum (light and dark) and cura? liqueur, plus orgeat syrup (almonds, sugar and orange-flower water). A four-and-a-half-ounce drink has more than 300 calories, with the only hint of goodness coming from a squeeze of lime juice.